Thessia
For canon information, see the Mass Effect Wiki page for Thessia. This page is for CDN members' non-canon additions. Thessia is the asari homeworld, and de facto capital (although no formal hierarchy exists) of the Asari Republics. The Thessian environment contains near-omnipresent trace element zero concentrations, leading to virtually all Thessian lifeforms being adapted to it, and many (including the asari themselves) have innate biotic abilities. Asari living elsewhere suffer no ill effects from the lack of eezo, but pregnant asari on other worlds must take eezo-enriched supplements to simulate the Thessian concentrations of eezo in their diet, which are passed on to their daughters in utero. Geography Thessia is dotted with loose confederacies of great republican cities - asari history has involved little in the way of large-scale civil conflicts, so there has been no pressure towards consolidation of power in particular regions or political blocs. Cultural and trade ties between cities have always been strong, extending as far as travel technology allowed in any given era, and population exchange has historically occurred with much greater frequency than is the case in other species - pre-spaceflight, the "Maiden travels" typical of the first of the three asari life stages would see asari journey widely around their homeworld, and a high proportion would later choose to settle permanently in regions other than those of their birth. Along with the asari tendency towards cooperative behaviour and consensus-based decision-making, this led to the asari regarding themselves as a single people first and foremost at a much earlier stage than other species, long before communications technology advanced to the point where true unified planetary government became practical. Regardless, asari still take great pride in their native regions - whether by birth or those they emigrate to. Asari moved from an amphibious (previously aquatic) form to true land-dwellers comparatively late in their evolutionary process. The majority of the great cities are coastal, and the ocean retains an important place in asari culture. Economy Thessia is one of the most technologically advanced and economically powerful worlds in the known galaxy. Most notable (due to the universality of biotic ability, compared with its scarcity in other sapient species) are biotic technologies; the bio-amps produced by asari craft guilds are regarded as the finest in the galaxy. Due to the asari's considerable lifespan, much of their technology is designed around self-regenerating materials modelled after Thessia's organic life (although true "organic tech" is not especially common). Government Thessia is governed by a true democracy. There are no politicians or elected representatives - each citizen is permitted equal access to the decision-making process, via a dedicated planetary communications network in which matters of policy are freely debated, and decisions arrived at by general agreement. The social and cultural influence of Matriarchs results in their voices having enormous sway over debates relating to their chosen fields, but there is no "hard-wired" mechanism by which any asari's opinion on any matter is given more weight than any other's. The online discussion rooms in which debates take place are moderated by advanced VIs; a significant portion of Thessia's information technology R&D establishment, including licensed AI research institutes, participate in ensuring these VIs function as intended, and do not develop any emergent intelligent properties in spite of their sophistication. Cities and regions Armali Home to the Armali Council, whose omni-tools and bio-amps are regarded as the finest available. Serrice Home to the Serrice Council, a consortium manufacturing high-powered bio-amps, omni-tools, and personal armor. Also home the University of Serrice. Anerzesa Attena Although comparable in total population to other republican cities, the Attena region never developed a central city - a widespread network of easily navigable waterways made for rapid travel, meaning there was less incentive to centralise for trade and communication purposes in the pre-industrial era. Although the largest settlements have grown to the size of cities in their own right, there is still no true regional capital, and even in the most urban areas, population centres and facilities remain dispersed, with high concentrations of undeveloped natural land. Attena is situated in the west of the Tescani continent; the climate is warm, and the geography a mixture of low hills, rivers and lakes, and forested areas with some of the properties of rainforests in a mild form. The coastline boasts several spectacular rock formations, most notable among them the Dancing Bird Straits, a massive network of spires and slanted cliffs surrounded by ocean, which is a popular destination for recreational aircraft enthusiasts. Due to a high concentration of academic institutions, Attena's popular image is something like that of an oversized "college town", combined with a reputation for its inhabitants being outdoors types. Attena attracts a high number of visitors, including tourists and foreign students attenting its schools; in addition to the usual asari population movement between areas, the region is home to a sizeable number of non-asari residents. Other locations: *Attena Academy (formally named the Thes'Nurla Academy, but generally referred to by its common name) is the region's primary higher learning institute, and one of the "crystal ten", the most famous universities on Thessia. The Academy's grounds are heavily landscaped, incorporating parks and natural growth areas, with buildings and facilities constructed in harmony with the pre-existing land formations. The Academy has a history of its graduates entering the diplomatic field, and boats one of Thessia's finest galactic studies departments. *The Attena Political Cybernetics Institute is an artificial intelligence research centre. Part of the network of centres ensuring the proper operation of Thessia's political VIs, the Institute's specific focus is on advanced theoretical modelling. Dassus An early centre of maritine trade and travel, and the origin in the pre-Myacolan age of the Dassus Craft, a body of work representing a dramatic advance in the sophistication of asari engineering. Kendra Ocean One of the larger confederacies of cities, the gentle conditions of the Kendra Ocean made pre-flight travel between the settlements on all its shores common, resulting in very strong trade and social ties between them. The Kendra region is notable for its architecture, which it has exported to many colonies; Illium's Nos Astra is constructed primarily in the neo-Kendra style. See also *Category: Thessia Dwellers *Category: Asari Mythology Category:Locations